A Winter Tradition
by Nightborn Dreamer
Summary: When Naruto first saw Sasuke, all he wanted was to make him smile.


A Winter Tradition

Summary: When Naruto first saw Sasuke, all he wanted was to make him smile.

Author's Note: So I wrote this last winter and have had it up on my dA, y!gal, and AO3 accounts and finally decided to throw it up here as well. The song Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer helped inspire this.

Disclaimer: I don't own the series Naruto.

~*NS*~

The sound of something buzzing woke Naruto. He'd been sleeping on his stomach with his head buried in his pillow. Blinking repeatedly, he looked around his dark room and saw light flashing from his cell phone. He groaned as he pressed his hands into the mattress, pushing himself up and off of his bed. Stumbling through the dark, he grabbed his cell phone from his computer desk and saw that he had various texts from his friends wishing him a merry Christmas. He had a few missed calls too, but didn't really feel like calling anyone back. Instead he sent them all texts wishing them a merry Christmas as well. Lifting his shirt to scratch at his stomach, he set his phone back down with a sigh and looked at the time. It was only six o'clock. Good. He hadn't overslept then.

He stretched his arms above his head and heard his bones crack. He then brought his hand down to cover his mouth as he yawned and headed toward the bathroom to take a quick shower. His mind was still fuzzy and showers always helped wake him up. As he showered, he thought of his friends spending time with their families, something he himself had never done, since Naruto didn't have a family. He lost his parents before he ever got to know them and grew up in various foster homes. Because of that, the holidays were always sort of dreary for him. Or, well, they used to be.

Closing his eyes as the warm water hit his face and ran down his body, Naruto thought about the last two years and how they had been much easier to deal with and why. Two years ago he had gone to a Christmas party and met someone who changed his life.

Sasuke Uchiha.

Honestly, Naruto had no idea why the man had appealed to him so much when he seemed so cold and distant. There was just something so…familiar about him. Sasuke had looked lonely and sad. Naruto felt a pull toward him and had wanted so badly to talk to him. He wanted to find out why he looked lonely and sad and ease those feelings. He wanted to wipe that frown off of Sasuke's face and replace it with a smile, but he had no idea why. He had never met the man before, so why had he felt so connected to him?

After a few drinks, he had wandered over to Sasuke and began talking with him. Sasuke had tried to ignore him, but after a few bad jokes on Naruto's part, Sasuke's shoulders became less tense and he wasn't ignoring Naruto anymore. Naruto vividly remembered feeling something in his chest flutter when those dark eyes turned to him, glimmering with amusement, and a small smile began to form on his lips. That small smile had soon disappeared though, as someone interrupted them to ask Sasuke how he was fairing. Naruto had been confused as to why someone would ask him that, but Sasuke's smile immediately disappeared and his eyes began to darken with pain. Sasuke then quickly left the party without another word and Naruto had gotten this powerful urge to chase after him, so he did. When Naruto caught up to him, he grabbed Sasuke's sleeve and got a few angry words said to him. Naruto wasn't sure how, but he had somehow gotten Sasuke to agree to have a few drinks with him. He had a feeling that Sasuke just wanted to get drunk and forget about what just happened, but that didn't happen. If anything, drinking just made it worse. Sasuke didn't have a filter when he was drunk, and ended up telling Naruto about how his brother had passed earlier in the year. His parents had died years before, so Itachi had been his only remaining family. Sasuke also told him how lonely he'd been since Itachi's death.

Naruto's heart _ached_ for Sasuke, and he made the decision to make sure that this man would never feel alone again.

They took a cab to their separate homes, and Naruto told Sasuke that every night on Christmas, he went to the park. As much as he wanted to be there for Sasuke, he also didn't want to force it too much and scare him off, so he gave him the option. If Sasuke felt like having company, he could come to the park.

And he did.

Naruto smiled at the memory. He and Sasuke had talked all night. He told Sasuke about his own lack of a family and through that, they bonded. The Christmas after that, Sasuke came to the park again and Naruto started thinking it would become a tradition for them. While everyone else had their family traditions of eating ham or turkey, watching Christmas movies or whatever it was that families did, Naruto and Sasuke would be at the park. The snow would be fresh and no one would be around. Just them. It was as if they had their own little piece of the world on Christmas, a place just for them. It was nice. Naruto hadn't felt lonely on Christmas since he met Sasuke, and he hoped Sasuke wasn't lonely anymore either.

Turning the water off, Naruto toweled himself dry as he went back into his room. He slipped on a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt with an orange spiral on the center, and an orange hoodie over it. Yes, he very much enjoyed the color orange. It was partially due to it being the color of his favorite animal – foxes – and it just looked appealing to him. As he played with his hair, he imagined Sasuke in orange and snickered to himself. Sasuke didn't _hate_ the color, he just wouldn't be caught dead in it. Just as that thought passed, it was immediately followed by the image of Sasuke lounging around in Naruto's apartment with his orange hoodie on. The thought made him feel kind of warm.

Naruto and Sasuke had become close friends. Naruto had never had a best friend before, just a lot of close friends he cared for dearly, but he felt that Sasuke was his best friend. He always wanted to hang out with him and felt he could be himself around Sasuke; however, as the months passed after their first meeting, Naruto had found himself wanting more from Sasuke. He tried to ignore the feelings for the sake of preserving their friendship, but when Sasuke and he went to a bar – just a few weeks ago – to drink, a woman had flirted with Sasuke, who was a bit tipsy. Since Sasuke had quickly turned her down and stated that he didn't date girls. After hearing that, Naruto had wanted to ask him out right away, or maybe even try to woo Sasuke, but was hesitant. Unsure of what else to do, Naruto drank more, letting his mind become nice and foggy. He wasn't sure why he did that, but he never was one to think things through and for once, he was glad for it. The exact details of that night were lost to him, but somehow or another, he and Sasuke had kissed on the lips for the first time.

It was the best bar experience Naruto ever had.

They were currently dating and had just passed their one month anniversary the week before. Naruto had never been in such a healthy relationship. Usually his partners – male and female – depended on him too much to make him fully comfortable. It wasn't that he didn't like feeling needed – in fact, he loved it – but he had needs himself. There were days when he had things to complain about or negative emotions to get off his chest, but he had always been too hesitant to let his partner know of it, especially since they didn't seem to care. He also didn't like being put in control _all_ the time. Sometimes he had no idea what he was doing, and would have liked a partner who would help him figure things out rather than just expect him to have the answer for everything.

His relationship with Sasuke wasn't like that though. Since the beginning, Naruto had felt comfortable talking to him about anything. Sasuke wasn't completely dependent on him and whenever Naruto was confused about something, Sasuke would help him out. Rather than being in a relationship where Naruto felt like he was always giving, where his partner would just take from him until he had nothing left to give, he was finally in a relationship where he was giving and getting, an equal partnership.

It was nice.

After Naruto put his tan winter coat on, zipping it up, he picked up his black guitar case and slung it over his back. He pulled the hood of his hoodie up so his ears would be covered as he walked out of the apartment, locking the door behind him.

The night air was cold and Naruto rubbed his bare hands together. Snow was falling from the sky and sticking to the ground, but there wasn't much wind so he was okay with that. He hated it when the wind was strong and blew snowflakes in his face. He breathed warm air into his hands as he walked. He had lost his gloves from the previous year and had yet to buy new ones. At least it wasn't too cold out, he didn't think so anyway. Once he neared the river, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked around for Sasuke. It wasn't long before he found him sitting on the bench, facing the water. It was only partially frozen over, since the cold had just hit their city out of nowhere a day or two ago. He could hear the water moving just a bit.

"You always make it here before me," Naruto grinned as he walked up to Sasuke. He leaned down and kissed his boyfriend on the temple before sitting beside him – to the right of Sasuke – on the bench. He set his guitar case on the snowy ground and began to unzip it.

"You're too slow," Sasuke smirked. It was because of his smirks that people always believed Sasuke to be arrogant, a little too sure of himself. However, Naruto knew differently, and the hand that went up to fix his hair – on the same side where Naruto kissed him – gave him away. Sasuke was actually rather insecure, and Naruto felt…good, or special, that he knew the reason why. While a child and growing up, Sasuke's father had been overly critical of him, and while he loved his brother, Itachi, being compared to him constantly got to him, especially since, in the eyes of everyone else, he wasn't as amazing as Itachi was. It took a toll on Sasuke's self-esteem.

Honestly, Naruto had a hard time believing anyone could be as amazing as Sasuke. He was the most beautiful person Naruto had ever seen. His black hair and dark eyes contrasted nicely with his fair skin. He had a nice body, though it was currently covered by his black trench coat, gloves, dark blue jeans and black boots – Sasuke didn't have a whole lot of color in his wardrobe, save for some navy blue and red. Of course, Sasuke was flawed, inside and out, just like every other human being, but Naruto loved those flaws. They made Sasuke more…human…and real. Naruto honestly didn't want a partner who was perfect.

"Yeah? Maybe you're just too eager. Did ya miss me? It's been a few days since we've been together. Holidays are always so busy at work." Naruto pulled his acoustic guitar out of its case and, crossing his right leg over his left, put it on his lap.

"Hn. I'm a big boy, Naruto. I can live without you for a couple of days." After a short pause, Sasuke then asked, "Why aren't you wearing gloves?"

"Eh, lost 'em. I'll buy a new pair in a few days or somethin'." Naruto turned to Sasuke and grinned, "So, any requests?"

"Hmm, anything that has nothing to do with the holidays. Ah, but nothing too depressing, either. Something that will take my mind off of what day it is today."

That didn't surprise Naruto. Sasuke hated Christmas more than he did. Naruto knew it was painful for Sasuke, to see everyone with their family, reminding him of what he'd lost. It was the reason why Naruto never wished Sasuke a merry Christmas. He knew that would probably just upset him.

"I think that'll be hard, considering the park is never usually empty." Naruto pointed to the park behind him with his thumb. Usually there were kids playing on the swings, teenagers and young adults skateboarding all around, or people just hanging out around the water in general.

"Yeah, well, I'll just pretend the apocalypse came and killed everyone but us."

"Cause I'm so awesome I'd get us both out of dying?"

"You _do_ seem to have the luck of the Gods sometimes," Sasuke admitted with a scowl. He was probably just sore about always losing to Naruto at poker, a game that had become much more enjoyable since they started dating.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Naruto said as he reached over and poked at the corner of Sasuke's mouth. Blinking, Sasuke turned over to give him a slightly amused look, an eyebrow raised. "So, something upbeat and non-Christmas-y? I think I can manage that." Naruto's fingers began moving over the cords, the music upbeat yet still soft. When he looked back at Sasuke, his boyfriend had a soft smile on his face as he watched Naruto's hands work. When he caught Naruto looking at him, the left corner of his mouth lifted, making it look almost like a smirk. His expression was rather adorable. He looked amused again. Maybe it was because Naruto's attention was always on him, even when he was playing his guitar. It was true though. No one held his attention like Sasuke, and that was saying something considering Naruto very possibly had ADHD. Despite what Sasuke said though, Naruto knew it was most likely a mutual feeling. Often when they were together he had Sasuke's attention on him. To say that it pleased him would be an understatement. No one had ever paid so much attention to him before. He felt spoiled with attention and didn't want it to change. He hoped he made Sasuke feel the same.

"Like it?"

"Fishing for compliments?"

"From you? Always."

"Hn. That's because you're a show off. I bet you were one of those kids who always tried to be in the spotlight."

"Ha, funny. But actually, yeah, I was."

"I'm not surprised."

"And you were probably that nerdy, goth kid sitting in the back, right?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "No. I always sat in the front, actually…when I could actually choose my seat." He then narrowed his eyes. "And I was not _goth_."

Naruto gave him a look that said he didn't believe him. "Tell that to your wardrobe. Got enough black in your closet?"

"Shut up. Just because I own a lot of black clothing doesn't make me goth. Some of us just like to look dignified."

It was true. Sasuke dressed in semi-formal, semi-casual clothes often, except for when he was lazing around with no plans to go anywhere or having company…other than Naruto, of course. Not that Naruto cared. He thought Sasuke looked attractive in whatever he wore…or didn't.

"Your nose is red," Naruto grinned.

"So is yours. Your fingers are red too."

"Yeah, they're starting to sting a little."

"It's your own fault for losing your gloves."

"I lose my gloves every year. I mean, I go three seasons without them. That's plenty of time to lose 'em."

"And do you lose your winter clothes too?"

"That's not the same. Clothes are bigger." When Sasuke just continued to stare at him he grumbled, "I may have lost a few sweaters…"

"I'm surprised you haven't lost your guitar."

Naruto gasped dramatically, his fingers stopped moving, cutting of the music. "Never!"

Chuckling and shaking his head, Sasuke let his fingers run along the back of the guitar's neck. "You are fairly attached to it."

"Well, yeah. I've had it for a long time."

"I can tell. It's all scratched up."

"Shut up! I've moved around a _lot_ since I got it."

"I can see that. You're like a nomad, I bet."

It was probably meant as a joke, but Naruto nodded in agreement anyway. "Something like that. I moved around a lot growing up and never really stayed in the same place for long."

"Even after you were out of the foster care system?"

Swallowing, Naruto nodded. "Yeah."

"Too used to moving around?"

"You're asking a lot of questions," Naruto smiled at him. "Maybe, but really, it was more because…I just couldn't find a place to call 'home', or I never really had a reason to stay in just one place."

"I see." Sasuke shifted closer to him, their arms touching. "And now?"

"Well…I'm still here, aren't I? I made some really good friends here and something about leaving them left a bad taste in my mouth. I've switched apartments though and have moved to different parts of the city. But I don't think I'll be moving out of the city for a long time." Naruto turned to face Sasuke. "Since you're here…and I _reaaaally_ want to stay with you."

Sasuke's face was already a little red from the cold weather, but Naruto thought he saw it get a little more so. Maybe it was just his imagination.

Snorting, Sasuke looked away from him and at the water again. Naruto wondered if he really was embarrassed.

"You're so corny sometimes."

"Am not!"

"You yell a lot too."

"Can't help it. I've always been loud."

"I'm not surprised."

"Maybe I was trying to get you to hear and find me. You know, like how when kids are lost they scream for their parents to find them?"

"Are you seriously referring to me as your parent?"

"Shut up! It was the first thing that came to mind! Excuse me for wanting to be romantic!"

"You're yelling again."

Naruto stuck out his tongue, even though Sasuke wasn't looking at him. Naruto leaned his guitar against him and brought his hands up to blow warm air into them. His fingers were red and they really were starting to sting.

Sasuke must have noticed too, because he said, "I have an extra pair of gloves at home, if you want them."

Naruto turned to him with a grin. "Yeah? Not gonna offer me the ones you're wearing now though, are you?"

"Of course not. If I did _my_ hands would be cold."

"Tch, I see how it is…bastard…" Despite his words, Naruto was smiling. He began putting his guitar away when Sasuke asked him how he got it, and why.

"Don't most people want an electric guitar nowadays?"

"Heh, maybe, but I didn't want to fuss with an amp. I got it when I was about seventeen, so I've had it for about five years. Honestly, I just wanted something to occupy my time with. I had left my last foster home a year before I had to, 'cause I hated it. I don't really care for living with strangers…not that that really changed. My roommate for my first apartment was a stranger who I never really got to know. He liked to keep to himself. But yeah, it was just gonna be something I did for a little while. I didn't really plan to keep the guitar for very long and was gonna sell it once I got bored with it, but playing relaxes me. It helped get me out of my bad moods and took my mind off of things I didn't want to think about."

"Hn. Did you ever write a song?"

"Nope. Never occurred to me."

"It's probably for the best."

Naruto shot him a playful glare as he zipped up his guitar case and stood up. He moved to stand in front of Sasuke and pointed at him.

"Be quiet you. I bet I could write an awesome song. Just 'cause I'm not goin' to college like you doesn't mean I can't write."

"Uh huh, sure." Sasuke didn't sound very impressed with him as he stood up as well. There was almost no space between them and Naruto couldn't help but smile at that. Sasuke usually hated it when people got into his personal space, but he had never tried to move Naruto away from his body. Sometimes Naruto wondered how long Sasuke had wanted him, but never asked. There wasn't much of a point in knowing, he supposed. At least they were together now.

"Maybe I should write a song just for you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I can write a song about this nerdy little emo, goth kid who sat in the back."

Sasuke stared at him quietly for a moment…then…

"_Aaaaah_! Not the nipples!" Naruto jumped back, covering his chest with his hands. He hated having his nipples twisted and Sasuke knew it. "What was that for?!"

"It was your punishment for calling me an emo, goth kid."

"But not nerdy?"

"If you're not nice, I won't give you my gloves."

Naruto faked a pout. "You're bein' mean today, Mr. Grinch."

"Funny. Last time I checked I wasn't green and naked."

"Is he naked? He has fur or something, doesn't he? Or does that not count?"

Sasuke just stared at him, then shook his head and began walking away, probably toward his car. Naruto lived close by and didn't have a car – he was dirt poor like that – but Sasuke lived farther away. When they got to the car, Naruto ran up to Sasuke and grabbed his arm. The door was slightly open but closed when Naruto turned Sasuke around and pressed him back against the door. He pressed his mouth and body against Sasuke's, kissing him deeply. He heard the keys jingle when Sasuke wrapped his arm around his shoulders, the other going around his waist and pulling him closer. The kiss started off passionate and deep, but turned soft and slow, until Naruto was eventually just pecking at his lips a few times before pulling away.

"What was that for?" Sasuke asked, a little breathy.

"We didn't kiss yet. The kiss I gave you earlier doesn't count."

Then Sasuke made that face, the one Naruto only saw when they were together and when he made Sasuke really happy. His lips pursed as he tried not to smile and laugh. He saw Sasuke bite the corners of his mouth and couldn't help but smile widely at it. Despite how much of a Grinch this day made Sasuke, Naruto still made it his job to make sure Sasuke was happy. He always would.

"Stop smiling like an idiot and get in the car," Sasuke said, though there was laughter in his voice.

"Yes sir!"


End file.
